Gabriel Landeskog
ON-ICE VALUE
Top-Six Forward
STRENGTHS
Fundamentals: Landeskog offers a reliable and gritty brand of hockey. He plays hard without going over the edge, he consistently stays in sound defensive position and he generally embraces his role as the big body in the trenches. This makes him quite versatile as well. Colorado can deploy him as a checker or scoring winger without worrying about how he’ll perform.
Strength: At 6’1” and 215 pounds, the veteran power forward is solidly built. This serves him well in the corners and in front of the net, where he can impose his will by winning pucks back or banging in rebounds with defenders draped over his back. Despite a fairly physical style, he’s remained healthy for the majority of his career too.
Offensive Instincts: Due to his reputation as a power forward, his hockey sense is perhaps a bit underrated. He’s no wizard with the puck, but he does show flashes of great vision and quick processing that allow him to keep up with more talented linemates.
WEAKNESSES
Does Too Much: The flip side of that coin is that he does occasionally lose sight of his role within the team. Surrounded by skill, Landeskog has a tendency to get carried away and attempt low-percentage plays when he should be focused on the meat and potatoes in front of him. This limits both his and his linemates’ impact on the attack.
Quiet: Landeskog is strong on the puck and can throw a good hit. However, unlike power forwards who look like wrecking balls on the ice, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. As such, he slips into stretches where he doesn’t leave as much of a mark on the game as he can.
